Bleacher frame construction



Jan. 29, 1952 C, TORKELSQN 2,584,066

BLEACHER FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed March l5, 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET l Jan. 29, 1952 F. c. ToRKr-:LsoN

BLEACHE FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed March l5, 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Bg Gttomegs,

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Patented Jan. 29, 1952 QUNITED STATES ear-ENT OFFICE Frank o. Turkelson, salt Lake city, Utah Application March 15, 1949, `Serial No. 81,486

This invention relates chieily to bleacher construction but is not necessarily limited'thereto. f The principal object of the invention is to provide structural integrity coupled with simplicity of design which embodies inherent measures of safety. Other important objects include the attainment of economy in fabrication and erection costs, portability, rapidity of assembling and disassembling the structural components, together with the conservation of usable ground space in the completed structure.

Still other objects will become self-evident during the progress of the following detailed description.

In achieving the objects of the invention, there is provided a trussed structure characterized by an inclined upper chord composed of structural members and a lower chord consisting of a ground portion located directly below the upper chord, the lower end-portion of the upper chord being anchored to the lower chord. One or more Wedgeshaped members are arranged along and between the two chords so as to constitute the web of the trussed structure.

The upper chord is preferably formed of two structural membersspaced apart from each other transversely and is divided lengthwise into a series of consecutive, lateral. bracing panels. These panels are preferably of substantially equal lengths for the purpose of effecting economy in fabrication.

Advantageously, the bases of the afore-mentioned wedge-shaped web members coincide with one or more of the chord bracing panels and are spaced apart as may be required. Each wedge member'is preferably a framed entity composed of four Vcolumns located at the intersections of the sides of the wedge. These sides form two opposed rectangular faces which meet in an edge that is parallel to an edge of the afore-mentioned base, `and two triangular ends. The rectangular faces `and the triangular ends are leach sway bracedin triangular sub-panels to resist wind and other imposed stresses.

The end result of the construction thus briey outlined, is that the weight imposed upon the area tributary to the trussed structure is uniquely transmitted to the ground, practically entirely through compression members, while at the time a most economical disposition of the structural material to resist swaying is attained.

fvg In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation, largely gram; v

I Fig. 2, a fragmentary portion of Fig. 1, showing a minor detail; I I

Fig. 3, a plan of the of? the upper chord;

Fig. 4, a side elevation, in enlarged detail, yof the trussed structure of Fig. 1; and

in dialateral bracing in the `plane l lar endA faces. the rectangular faces and the triangular end faces Fig.. 5,. an end elevation corresponding to Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow 5` in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6, `a diagram in perspective, of Vthe wedge member of Figs. 4 and ias seen from the left in Fig. 4. i

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I0, Fig. l, denotes a trussed structure Ill, comprising the upper chord II, the lower chord or ground portion I2, and a series of web members I3, I4, I5 and I6.

`The upper chord includes longitudinally ex tending side members IIa that are preferably made of structural steel shapes, such as channels, and `are spaced apart from each other to form a deck for lateral bracing. This deck is divided lengthwise into a series of X-braced panels designated a to` in Figs.. 1 and `3.` Preferably the panels are all of equal dimensions.

. The web members I3 to I6 of the truss I0 are unique in that each one has essentially the overall form of a wedge-shaped frame. Each frame has a base that substantially coincides with one or more of the panels of the bracing deck. For illustration, in the present showing, base I'I of web member I3 matches panel a; the base IB of web member I4 matches panels c plus d; base I9 of web member l5 matches panels f plus g; and base 2u of, web member I6 matches panels i plus y'. The panels b, e and h form spaces between members I3 to I6. While four web members are shown in this illustrative case, it is to be understood that the number of such members in general is not limited.

I Advantageously, each web member is essentially a framed entity composed principally of four legs or columns springing from the corners of a respective base and arranged in dualities of pairs, I3a and |311; Ida and I4b; I5a and I5b; and ISa and I6b; all as indicated in Fig. 1, and as typified in Fig. 6. Each web member thus fullls the geometrical definition of a wedge since the four bounding columns dene two opposed rectangular faces which meet in an edge 28` that is parallel to the edge of the base, and two A opposed triangu- As shown in the various gures.

of the wedge-shaped web members are braced in triangular sub-panels in' accordance with recognized structural'practice. VThe wedge bases Il to 20v lie inthe plane of the upper chord and are rigidly connected to the chord members II and I Ia, preferably in the eld, by means of riveting or welding. 4 y y The opposed rectangular faces. of a Wedge member lie in the planes'exemplilied at 2I and 

